Moving to a new country can be daunting enough without the added pressure of not knowing what might await your skin and hair in terms of pleasant or slightly less pleasant surprises. Add to this the uncertainty of how to manage dressing within your style in weather conditions you might not be that used to and your anxiety level can easily go off the charts. I thought I was prepared for the winter in Finland, since I lived in Chicago and Maine among other places, and when in Germany not too far from the mountains. I only found life in Finland to be somewhat tolerable during the winter when I chanced on the advice to wear base layers. To be fair, when I told my cousin I was moving to Finland he marched me straight to a Vietnamese store in Berlin that specialized in longjohns and long undershirts, but they were closed on that particular day and I thought long johns were for kids, so never went there again. The merino base layers I ended up getting were a game changer, as was the coat we got with Joanna. 

Joanna is my go-to person for skincare, beauty and style because I admire her knowledge and love her approach. Joanna is a makeup artist and stylist who is currently finishing her Masters on Bioesthetic Cosmetology in the faculty of Health Sciences, which translates into a Master’s in Cosmetology and a minor in Bioesthetics for those needing resume-like details. You can find her on Instagram where her account @nobordersforbeauty spreads the message that everyone is beautiful and should be celebrated,

The main objective with this series is to avoid the same pitfalls I fell into, freezing my bones off because one thick(ish) winter coat from a popular Swedish chain store is enough, convincing myself I was dying of an incurable disease when the skin around my eyes would not stop flaking until a friend pointed out that in her estimation I just had really dry skin and being convinced that too many of my favorite items made me look frumpy when an adjustment in posture was all it took to remedy that. 

I’m also seeing a lot of comments all over social media and in social situations on hair and skin problems and style questions in what works or could work and what doesn’t. Joanna sussed out the situation based on what I told her and suggested a coat that easily became my favorite and I can say in all honesty that I have never felt as comfortable in the winter as I did after getting it. 

We don’t want to push brands. In fact, if we do mention a certain brand it is absolutely not to advertise it but because it worked. Neither of us gets any endorsement for anything we suggest and that’s not the idea behind this. Rather than suggesting a brand or style, you get tips on what materials and ingredients to look for, which ones to avoid and what could work best in different situations. Joanna’s aesthetic is in her own words “reverse chameleon, anything that stands out.” While she does get most of her clothes from thrift stores, her main goal is to help you within your budget because as she puts it, “not everyone can afford sustainable styles.”  Which is another thing that really resonated with me. Rather than trying to impose a certain style on me, she helped me work with what I had. I was extremely depressed when we met and while I initially found it challenging to wear makeup again because colors had once meant everything to me, I slowly realized that she managed to see what I wanted to convey and brought it out, with the makeup she put on me as much as with the styles she suggested. Joanna tailors your style to your personality instead of hers or the latest fading trend. 

So what will you get out of this series? Advice on:

• beauty and style in accordance with your budget and personality
• which products work best for you and your skin type no matter where you are or will be moving to. 
• how to manage your hair and skin problems if and when they come up. 
• makeup and how to dress for different occasions whether it’s at work, in your free time or for special occasions. 
• how to best dress for the weather and still maintain your personal style whether you prefer full out glam, full coverage or anything in between. 

And of course advice on any (other) questions you may have. :-)

So don’t be shy, no matter where you live or are moving to, fill out the contact form or comment your questions below.